Privatization, efficiency and integration: the truth about the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway in Argentina in the 1990’s

The Paraguay-Paraná Waterway program (HPP in Spanish), was a large scale infrastructure project which intended to attract global investment to five South American countries and intensify the extraction of “natural resources”, for export to major world production centers. This article examines the di...

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Main Author: Gisela Ariana Rausch
Format: Article
Language:Spanish
Published: Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, Sede Ecuador 2021-01-01
Series:Íconos
Subjects:
Online Access:https://revistas.flacsoandes.edu.ec/iconos/article/view/4202
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author Gisela Ariana Rausch
author_facet Gisela Ariana Rausch
author_sort Gisela Ariana Rausch
collection DOAJ
description The Paraguay-Paraná Waterway program (HPP in Spanish), was a large scale infrastructure project which intended to attract global investment to five South American countries and intensify the extraction of “natural resources”, for export to major world production centers. This article examines the discursive strategies deployed in Argentina during the 1990’s, by the sponsors of the project in their efforts to establish a specific “truth” supporting their efforts to appropriate the territory. This research combines the approaches of disciplines such as human geography and political ecology. The historical object of the study is based on documentary sources and shows that the dominant discourse about the HPP was built around three main ideas: privatization, efficiency and regional integration. The first two revolve around the notion of “State failure” and the third reshapes the ideology of regional integration from a neo-liberal perspective. These guiding ideas took particular nuances in Argentina´s specific historical and economic conditions and were able to help impose this extractive project, without having to face any significant opposition.
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institution Kabale University
issn 1390-1249
2224-6983
language Spanish
publishDate 2021-01-01
publisher Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, Sede Ecuador
record_format Article
series Íconos
spelling doaj-art-db03fb5cc2b94cff9406175ba91297632025-02-02T08:01:41ZspaFacultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, Sede EcuadorÍconos1390-12492224-69832021-01-01256914316210.17141/iconos.69.2021.4202Privatization, efficiency and integration: the truth about the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway in Argentina in the 1990’sGisela Ariana Rausch0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5851-3357Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y TécnicasThe Paraguay-Paraná Waterway program (HPP in Spanish), was a large scale infrastructure project which intended to attract global investment to five South American countries and intensify the extraction of “natural resources”, for export to major world production centers. This article examines the discursive strategies deployed in Argentina during the 1990’s, by the sponsors of the project in their efforts to establish a specific “truth” supporting their efforts to appropriate the territory. This research combines the approaches of disciplines such as human geography and political ecology. The historical object of the study is based on documentary sources and shows that the dominant discourse about the HPP was built around three main ideas: privatization, efficiency and regional integration. The first two revolve around the notion of “State failure” and the third reshapes the ideology of regional integration from a neo-liberal perspective. These guiding ideas took particular nuances in Argentina´s specific historical and economic conditions and were able to help impose this extractive project, without having to face any significant opposition.https://revistas.flacsoandes.edu.ec/iconos/article/view/4202discoursesbig projectswaterwayinfrastructureregional integrationprivatization
spellingShingle Gisela Ariana Rausch
Privatization, efficiency and integration: the truth about the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway in Argentina in the 1990’s
Íconos
discourses
big projects
waterway
infrastructure
regional integration
privatization
title Privatization, efficiency and integration: the truth about the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway in Argentina in the 1990’s
title_full Privatization, efficiency and integration: the truth about the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway in Argentina in the 1990’s
title_fullStr Privatization, efficiency and integration: the truth about the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway in Argentina in the 1990’s
title_full_unstemmed Privatization, efficiency and integration: the truth about the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway in Argentina in the 1990’s
title_short Privatization, efficiency and integration: the truth about the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway in Argentina in the 1990’s
title_sort privatization efficiency and integration the truth about the paraguay parana waterway in argentina in the 1990 s
topic discourses
big projects
waterway
infrastructure
regional integration
privatization
url https://revistas.flacsoandes.edu.ec/iconos/article/view/4202
work_keys_str_mv AT giselaarianarausch privatizationefficiencyandintegrationthetruthabouttheparaguayparanawaterwayinargentinainthe1990s